Similar to works like Good to Great and In Search of Excellence, the book is an effort to express the findings of a rigorous scholarly study that looked at how to address deficiencies in the current strategic planning paradigms by applying a particular kind of strategic thinking known as systems theory to the strategic planning process. It not only describes the theoretical basis for this assertion but also reports real world data that demonstrates that many top performing organizations are already applying these kinds of mental models, even if they do not formally realize it.